This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice. Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use. The type of clause determines what kind of relative pronoun to use. Generally, there are two types of relative clauses: restrictive (defining) clause and non-restrictive (non-defining) clause. In both types of clauses, the relative pronoun can function as a subject, an object, or a possessive pronoun ("whose"). Relative pronouns that introduce a restrictive relative clause ARE NOT separated from the main clause by a comma. Restrictive relative clauses (also known as defining relative clauses) add essential information about the antecedent in the main clause. The information is crucial for understanding the sentence's meaning correctly and cannot be omitted. In other words, without the restrictive relative clause, the sentence does not make sense. This is the house that had a great Christmas decoration. It took me a while to get used to people who eat popcorn during the movie. Formal English: This is the man to whom I wanted to speak and whose name I had forgotten. Informal English: This is the man I wanted to speak to and whose name I'd forgotten. Formal English: The library did not have the book that I wanted. Informal English: The library didn't have the book I wanted. Formal English: This is the house where/in which I lived when I first came to the United States. Informal English: This is the house I lived in when I first came to the United States. Grammatically Correct: The woman to whom you have just spoken is my teacher. Conversational Use: The woman you have just spoken to is my teacher. OR The woman who you have just spoken to is my teacher. The visitor for whom you were waiting has arrived. The family whose house burnt in the fire was immediately given a complimentary suite in a hotel. The book whose author won a Pulitzer has become a bestseller. Although similar in use, relative pronouns that introduce a non-restrictive relative clauses ARE separated from the main clause by a comma (in most instances). Typically, which is the preferred relative pronoun for indicating that a relative clause is non-restrictive. Non-restrictive relative clauses (also known as non-defining relative clauses) provide non-essential information about the antecedent in the main clause. The information is not crucial for understanding the sentence's meaning correctly and can be omitted without affecting the sentence's meaning. In other words, non-restrictive relative clauses are an aside that adds extra information. The science fair, which lasted all day, ended with an awards ceremony. The movie turned out to be a blockbuster hit, which came as a surprise to critics. The sculpture, which he admired, was moved into the basement of the museum to make room for a new exhibit. The theater, in which the play debuted, housed 300 people. The relative pronoun that can only be used in restrictive clauses. It can also be substituted for who (referring to persons) or which (referring to things) in informal English. Whereas that is often used while speaking, who and which are more common in formal written English. Conversational, Informal: William Kellogg was the man that lived in the late nineteenth century and had some weird ideas about raising children. Written, Formal: William Kellogg was the man who lived in the late nineteenth century and had some weird ideas about raising children. Conversational, Informal: The spatula that has a cracked handle is in the drawer. Written, Formal: The spatula, which has a cracked handle, is in the drawer. He is the kind of person that/who will never let you down. I am looking for someone that/who could give me a ride to Chicago. The old lady who lives next door is a teacher. The girl who wore a red dress attracted everybody's attention at the party. The police usually ask for every detail that helps identify the missing person. Purdue OWL is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024 by The On-Campus Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. This website collects and publishes the ideas of individuals who have contributed those ideas in their capacities as faculty-mentored student scholars. The materials collected here do not express the views of, or positions held by, Purdue University. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use. Privacy policy.